Ten Tastes
by Jem the Cat
Summary: A taste of the different flavors of love that exist for each couple, wholly unique unto themselves and thus unable to be created anew. Various pairings, AU


**Title: **Ten Tastes

**Pairing: **Zemyx, Cleon, Akuroku, Soiku, Marluxia/Larxene, etc.

**Disclaimer: **Characters by Squeenix. Songs by respective artists.

**A/N: **These are just a series of tiny drabbles that I wrote while trying to survive in my house. My AC is broken and it is currently 89 degrees in my room. .__.; I haven't spent a lot of time on these; around 15 minutes or so on each one. Just little sketches of plots with different pairings that popped into my mind. Some are sickeningly sweet, some cheesy. Maybe some are even kind of dumb. I've been experimenting with different settings and styles of writing, so it's not exactly my best work. Nonetheless, I hope you enjoy them!

Also, I wrote these while listening to my iTunes on shuffle, so there's a recommended song for each one. Take some time to look them up while you read, yeah? It'll get you more in the mood. |D (I think so, anyway.)

* * *

**The Ringmaster's Dream – Patrick O'Hearn**

"Who are you?"

"That's not important."

He took a sip of his wine, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand in one smooth, quick swipe.

"That's not for you to decide. Who are you?"

"What do you really want to know? A name, or…?"

He seemed to take Zexion's question seriously. One never had to worry if their question was silly around Demyx; he almost always took it seriously, mulling it over until his answer was certain.

"…Yes. A name, followed by… a description, I guess. Of what you are, or what you aspire to be."

Zexion scoffed. "What I aspire to be? Not all of us have the time to have fanciful, poetic dreams like you, Demyx."

Demyx smiled around his wineglass. "Are you familiar with the expression, 'At the touch of love, everyone becomes a poet'?"

Zexion raised an eyebrow. "'The course of true love never did run smooth'."

"'In dreams and love there are no impossibilities'."

"Touché."

He walked forward, stole the stem of the wineglass from between the blond's slim fingers and calmly took a sip. Demyx smiled brightly at him, legs swinging gently from where he perched on a crate. They heard the clash of cymbals and the velvet-clad marching band in the midway, along with an elephant's forlorn cry, muted at a distance.

Zexion downed the rest of the wine, felt the sweet, tangy taste coat the inside of his mouth, before he set the glass down delicately upon another crate. Demyx opened his arms to him, and the slate-haired man stood between his legs, wrapping his own arms around the other's waist. The blond rested his chin on Zexion's shoulder, gave a tired sigh.

"We've known each other for months. You come to my trapeze acts, even my music acts, and we talk for hours after every single one. I think it's safe to say we know nearly everything about one another. And yet—"

Demyx's mouth was soft and pliant as Zexion kissed him, both tasting of crushed grapes.

When he finally pulled away, his lips were tilted into an amused smirk. Demyx's ocean-colored eyes were glazed, and he touched his fingers to his chapped lips.

"It's Zexion. And since you're so inclined to be poetic… I believe I am your soulmate."

* * *

**2. Showdown - Pendulum**

The golden sand rippled in the heat, and the wind whipped warm and fast through his spikes of hair. Everything below was a blurred vision of stone ruins and sand dunes and bits of twisted, blackened metal. Roxas expertly dug his heels into the hoverboard beneath him, taking a sharp turn around a crumbling clock tower, gaze locked on the bright target of red hair ahead.

As he caught up to within twenty feet of the redhead, he took a deep breath, nearly choked on the miniscule grains of scratchy sand, and screamed, "Will you slow the fuck _down, _Axel? We lost them a mile ago!"

Axel smirked back at him, making a show of cupping his ear and pretending he was deaf, before he faced forward and plunged into a mutilated carcass of steel that was probably once a bullet train tunnel. He made tricky maneuvers through the girders, speeding up as if trying to lose Roxas.

Roxas growled low in his throat. A challenge, huh? Oh, it was _on._

He tilted at a degree that would have been alarming months ago and shot after the redhead, dodging and twisting around the bits of metal like the seasoned pro he had become, at least since these past weeks when he began to accompany Axel on the raids for supplies.

It was post-apocalyptic South Korea, and with animals extinct and the economic collapse leading to currency that had the same value as the dirt beneath their feet, the people had turned to using grain as a means of bartering, and even food. This was why Roxas tightened his fists around the tops of a few small sacks—filled to the brim with corn and tightened with chicken-wire—as he increased his speed to catch up to his lover. God be damned if he was going to let Axel cheat again and get away with it.

Imagine the flicker of rage that flared up in him when he found that red-haired jackass already waiting for him, standing precariously on a horizontal girder and casually flicking the ash off his cigarette, his hoverboard under his arm. The blond skidded to a stop along the metal, sparks flying every which way as he purposely braked a second too late, causing Axel to have to leapt back to avoid getting his feet crushed.

He made a face as Roxas dismounted, a furious scowl on the blond's face. Why did Axel always have to _do _this? He knew of Roxas' quick temper, yet he always seemed to be testing the waters, seeing how far he could push the younger to the edge before bringing him back again. Well, this time he wasn't falling for it. No way in _hell._

Roxas stalked up to him and shoved the bags of grain against his chest, snatching the cigarette and taking a deep drag. He noticed Axel's spiteful smirk out of the corner of his eye, knew that he was waiting for the blond to throw a bitch-fit so he could act condescending and say he was 'making a fuckin' mountain out of a mole hill _again_, Rox'—and so he wasn't going to take the bait. Instead the blond focused on the miles and miles of sand ahead, endless to the edge of the horizon, punctuated by crumbled remains of buildings.

He didn't flinch when he heard the bags of corn being dropped onto the hot metal, and felt long arms wrap around his slim frame. Axel's warm, smoky breath ghosted past his ear. "Why the long face, Rox? We just stole a few bags of _corn_, not like that fuckin' quinoa sludge Riku brought. Maybe Xemnas'll give us a few days off, huh? And we can whatever the hell we want… spend the entire time in bed… would you like that?"

Roxas remained stubbornly silent, taking another drag. But he'd always found Axel's presence comforting, so you couldn't fault him for leaning back into his embrace, maybe just a _little._

"Don't sulk, Rox. That sexy little scowl of yours will give you wrinkles."

"Gee, thanks."

Axel gently turned Roxas around, grabbing his chin between forefinger and thumb and tilting it up. He seemed to examine the younger's face for a few seconds, before he gave a wide smirk and crushed their lips together. Roxas flailed, fighting back for a second—but then Axel licked the top of his mouth, and his mind blanked out as the cigarette dropped from his fingers to the sand 400 meters below. The blond fisted his hands in bright red hair, dragged Axel down a few inches and practically devoured him.

They pulled apart after a few minutes, both panting and smoothing sand out of their eyelashes. Roxas finally glared up through his bangs at Axel, his heartbeat slowing to a normal pace. "Y'know, Ax, sometimes I wonder when you'll stop being such an asshole."

Axel strolled back to the bags of grain, scooping them up to cradle them against his chest. Roxas didn't know if his smirk turned him on, or if he wanted to slap it off his face. "You wouldn't know until the time comes. A messenger arrives: _your horse is waiting. _You know. _The hour is upon us._"

Roxas rolled his eyes. "And what are you probably being, funny?" he replied sarcastically. Axel hopped up onto his hoverboard, glided over to the blond and pecked him on the cheek. "So much animosity." He waited until Roxas mounted his own hoverboard. "Sandstorm's coming. Let's ago."

Just as Roxas was revving up, the redhead tossed the bags of grain into his arms, before he was off like a shot through the tunnel skeleton. "Race ya!"

"What—hey! Hey, fuck you! Distraction is still a means of cheating, you bastard!"

Axel merely threw him a two-finger salute, his grin visible even from this distance.

* * *

**3. Moondance – Michael Bublé**

The record skipped a few times, before the music flowed through the apartment, only slightly scratchy, the notes warmly filling the corners of the small rooms.

Sora smiled slightly, gliding on tiptoes back into the kitchen, tapping the spatula in his hand onto the marble countertops in time to the music. His voice rang sweet and clear above the sound of sautéing vegetables.

"_Well it's a marvelous night for a moondance, with the stars up above in your eyes. A fantabulous night to make romance 'neath the cover of October skies—"_

"Oh God, not _that _old crooner."

Sora huffed and smacked his boyfriend's hand with the spatula. "He is not an _old crooner! _He's only thirty-three, I'll have you know!"

Riku shrugged, sprawled on a dining room chair. "I can't believe you bullied me into buying you this. I thought only lonely wives and fat ladies who always read those books with the Oprah book club stickers on them liked him."

Sora splashed soy sauce into the wok, replacing the lid a few seconds later to allow the vegetables to steam. "Well, I _happen_ to be one of those fat ladies who always read those books with the Oprah book club stickers on them," he declared, wiping his hands on his red apron and turning to glare meaningfully at Riku.

"Tch. You're not nearly fat enough, Sora. I can wrap my hands around your waist, in case you haven't noticed."

Sora stuck his tongue out, before turning around and throwing himself into Riku's lap. "Try saying that now!"

"Yes, you're right, fatso." Riku said, completely deadpan. "Get the hell off or you'll crush me."

Sora shook his head and stuck his tongue out again, playfully. "No way, you totally deserved it! Ooh—" he bounced excitedly on Riku's lap, "—I love this part! _Can I just have one more moondance with you, my love? Can I just make some more romance with youuuuuuu, my loveeee?"_

Riku sighed fondly at his boyfriend's antics. "You hardly weigh anything, Sora. Besides—" here he smirked lecherously, grabbing Sora's wrists in one hand and his ankles in another, "since your limbs have the circumference of a twig, I can just haul you off to our bed and take you up on your offer."

"Aahh!" Sora struggled in his lover's grip as Riku hauled him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. "Wait—the sauté! It'll burn! It needs more salt! Rikuuu—"

Riku's smirk only widened as he carried Sora off into their bedroom, leaving the door open so Sora could still hear his favorite music before he dropped the brunet onto the bed and pounced.

"We'll get takeout."

* * *

**4. Addiction (feat. Wanted) – Epik High**

It was completely silent in the car. The AC was turned on high, turning the leather of the seats cold to the touch. Light glinted off the windows, sending shadows across the faces of the six occupants.

Cloud, seated in the passenger seat, chanced a glance at Leon—saw how seriously he was gripping his hands on the steering wheel and tried to keep himself from smiling. In the back, Demyx was asleep on Zexion's lap while Zexion gazed blankly out at the city lights outside. Sora was asleep as well, Riku's arm wrapped tight around his waist as the brunet leaned against him.

Distantly, Cloud wondered why he and Leon never cuddled like that.

And, as expected, the answer struck him a few seconds later: _Leon isn't that sort of person._

And it was fine, he supposed. At least, it would have been fine if it was any day other than today. Today was _Valentine's._ Of course it had been Sora's idea to triple-date, and the dinner, while expensive, was delicious, the movie decent. Cloud didn't have much to complain about, but…

Sometimes he just wished Leon would show him more affection when they weren't behind closed doors. He wished Leon would affectionately sling an arm around his shoulders and draw his head under his chin, like Axel did to Roxas. He wished Leon would wrap those strong arms around his waist and gently rock him from side to side like Riku did to Sora. He wished Leon would casually draw him onto his lap like Zexion did to Demyx.

But he wasn't being fair.

After all, how could Cloud expect that of Leon when he himself didn't initiate a thing? He didn't furtively reach for Leon's hand and twine their fingers together atop the table, like Roxas did to Axel. He didn't stand on his tiptoes and peck Leon sweetly on the cheek like Sora did to Riku. And he definitely didn't leap onto Leon's back and demand a piggyback ride like Demyx did to Zexion.

Maybe Cloud was shy. Or maybe he was afraid of his lover's reaction. He certainly _liked _Leon enough, even _loved_ him if he was pressured to confess. So what was it? His inability to let go of the past? His fear of rejection? Or—

His train of thought promptly halted as he felt strong, warm fingers twist together with his own. He looked up, blue eyes meeting grey. They were at a stoplight. The red light threw shadows over the planes of Leon's face, but Cloud could still see the soft, fond smile on his face. He smiled back, slowly, felt fingers tighten around his own.

He realized he didn't need public displays of affectionate from his brunet lover to feel content. The smallest gesture of Leon's love for him already filled him to the brim with pure, unadulterated happiness.

It wasn't much. But for Cloud, it was enough.

* * *

**5. Petal Floor – Bae Seul Gi**

The silk of her mint-green kimono flowed beautifully to the floor, and Zack admired the white underside of her arm as it appeared out of the frothy, green-tea-colored sleeves of her garment.

"Are you to be my valiant knight?"

Her question was poised softly, and Zack couldn't help but also admire the way her dark lashes curved softly over her porcelain cheek.

Belatedly he remembered to bow, and quickly dipped down to peer up at her through his dark bangs. "O-of course, Madame Aerith! I _promise _to be the best bodyguard, the absolute _best, _you can count on me! I mean, I can't always be with you, since I'm forbidden to be in your bedroom. Uh, not that I want to be there! Well, I mean, I'd like to but not in that way that you're, uh, thinking of—"

Dammit, why did being around pretty girls always get him so tongue-tied?

He stopped stammering when he felt a finger pressed against his lips, and sweet laughter that sounded even more lovely than the bamboo wind chimes.

"Sir Zack, you don't have to be so nervous! I honestly do not need a bodyguard." She stepped down from the wooden inner porch of the _okiya. _"I was merely kidding," she laughed sweetly again, less intimidating in her full geisha regalia now that she was a head shorter instead of taller. "I'm no princess, and certainly not royalty." Her eyes dimmed slightly, and Zack nearly felt his throat clench at the beauty of her sadness in those green orbs.

He knew she was a geisha, of course. Knew that Aerith was becoming so popular in the geisha district that she had become the victim of lecherous old gropers as well as jealous competition who wanted to corner her in groups in the dark alleys between teahouses. In fact, the 'mother' of the _okiya _had hired him, more to protect the assets she was getting from Aerith than her actual safety, Zack thought angrily.

He shook his head, smiled at her. "Heh, you certainly _looked _like royalty in that get-up!" he joked, trying to cover up his slip. However, his compliment seemed to sadden Aerith even more, as she merely shrugged and smiled politely.

"They're compliments of Mother Jenova."

"Oh… Mother Jenova, huh? Is she really your mother?"

Aerith shook her head as if the very idea was preposterous. "Oh, no, of course not! My own mother was much more refined than that old—" She composed herself, shaking her head again and primly clasping her hands in front of her _obi. _"No, no. My mother died a while ago, and so my father decided it would be best to live here and be cared for."

Zack's smile dimmed. "…Oh. You didn't want to be a geisha, then?"

Aerith's reply was quick, slightly sharp. "No, never." She raised her eyes, stared up at the pale blue sky. "What I really wanted to do as a young girl was open a bakery. My mother always praised me, saying I had the talent for it. My father thought it was frivolous, but—" She raised a hand to her mouth, as if to stem the sudden flow of words. "Never mind." She laughed at herself, eyes glazed with nostalgia. "I shouldn't waste your time telling you these silly childhood stories."

Zack shook his head earnestly. "No, they're very interesting! Please, I'd like to hear more."

She smiled at him behind her fingers. "I'd love to, but I have somewhere I need to be soon…"

Zack placed his hands on his hips, legs apart as he leaned back to glance at the sky, calculating the time. "Where do you have to be next? I can walk you." He offered.

"The Yuzaka Teahouse, actually. It's not too far, I can walk myself. Thank you, though."

Zack looked at her in mild surprise. "The Yuzaka? Are you entertaining today?"

Aerith shook her head, already making her way to the entrance and slipping on her black lacquered _zori._ "No, but it seems I have a suitor on my hands. Mother wants me to get a bid…" She explained, her once vibrant voice now flat, yet still no less polite.

"A bid?" Zack's voice was puzzled.

Aerith glanced over her shoulder at him, peering through thick lashes. There was a faint blush on those high cheekbones. "Yes. For my… innocence."

Zack's face flushed with blood immediately. "O-oh! _Oh._" He took a moment to absorb this, to examine this pale-skinned, delicate young woman with the chestnut hair twined into a thick braid to her waist, the kindly green eyes and lips darkened with carmine. The entire _wrongness _of the event about to take place hit him like a sledgehammer to the chest.

It was true he had just met her, but even the mere _thought _of someone corrupting Aerith, of marring her innocent, gentle, kind-hearted soul, filled him with sickening worry and reawakened rage he had not felt in years.

It was the power of this raw emotion that pushed him to step up to her and touch her arm. "Hey, Aerith." He waited until he had her attention, then forced himself to smile. "Let's ditch this place, huh? We can… we can start a bakery together. Just like you wished as a little girl."

Her smile was uncertain, yet hopeful. "It's a lovely idea, Zack… but I couldn't possibly manage a bakery. I have no money of my own, and I can't afford a place…"

Zack stepped closer. "Aerith, this place isn't for you. It's… it's destroying you! I know I barely know you," he quickly amended, as Aerith drew away at the ferocity of his words. "I… I know that. It's just…" He ran his hands threw his hair, frustrated. "I've barely known you for more than twenty minutes and I can already see what this place has done to you! You may be the most sought-after geisha in Gion, but at what price? At what price, if you don't even get the money except for meager tips, and if you're not being happy and living your dream? What if your mother was still alive? Just because she isn't doesn't mean—"

Aerith stepped back, eyes wide. Her lips were trembling, her skin paler than before. "Don't. Don't bring her up. Please, Zack."

Zack stopped short, watched the sadness become moist in Aerith's eyes. He was in front of her in two strides, and he couldn't help wrapping his arms around her shaking frame. "I'm… sorry. I'm sorry. Please, Aerith. Leave this place, huh? It's not… It's really not for someone like you…"

Aerith raised her face to his, bravely trying to smile. "Even if I were to leave, where would I go?"

Zack didn't even have to think. "With me."

Aerith laughed, shaking tears from her lashes. "Okay. With you. But where? We have no place of our own—"

She stopped, startled at the finger pressing against her petal-lips. Zack's smile was warmer than she'd ever seen it.

"As long as we're together, it'll be alright. Won't it?"

Aerith couldn't help smiling back in agreement.

end of part one.


End file.
